UGC NET / JRF 2026 — Eligibility, Exam Pattern, Syllabus & Stipend
UGC NET determines eligibility for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), Assistant Professor posts, and PhD admission across Indian universities. It is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on behalf of the UGC.
- Exam: UGC NET, conducted by NTA for UGC
- Eligibility: Master's degree, 55% (General/EWS), 50% (OBC-NCL/SC/ST/PwBD/Third Gender)
- Pattern: single 3-hour CBT sitting — Paper 1 (50 Q/100 marks, common) + Paper 2 (100 Q/200 marks, subject-specific), 2 marks/correct, NO negative marking
- JRF age limit: 30 years; no upper age limit for Assistant-Professor-only or PhD-admission eligibility
- JRF stipend: ₹37,000/month (years 1-2) rising to ₹42,000/month as SRF (years 3-5) — confirmed via UGC's 572nd Commission meeting decision
- परीक्षा: UGC NET, NTA द्वारा UGC हेतु आयोजित
- पात्रता: स्नातकोत्तर, 55% (सामान्य/EWS), 50% (OBC-NCL/SC/ST/PwBD)
- पैटर्न: एक 3-घंटे की सिटिंग — पेपर 1 (50 प्रश्न/100 अंक) + पेपर 2 (100 प्रश्न/200 अंक), कोई नकारात्मक अंकन नहीं
- JRF आयु सीमा: 30 वर्ष; असिस्टेंट प्रोफेसर या PhD पात्रता हेतु कोई ऊपरी आयु सीमा नहीं
- JRF वजीफा: ₹37,000/माह (वर्ष 1-2), बढ़कर ₹42,000/माह SRF (वर्ष 3-5)
The June 2026 cycle was conducted 22–30 June 2026 (two shifts/day); results were pending as of late July 2026. The December 2026 cycle notification is expected around the first week of October 2026 — this is a portal forecast, not an official confirmed date.
Overview
| Exam | UGC NET (National Eligibility Test) |
| Conducted by | National Testing Agency (NTA), for UGC |
| Eligibility | Master's, 55%/50% depending on category |
| Pattern | Paper 1 (100 marks) + Paper 2 (200 marks), 3 hrs, single sitting, no negative marking |
| Subjects | 87 subjects (as of June 2026 cycle, added Statistics & Forestry) |
| Leads to | JRF fellowship, Assistant Professor eligibility, PhD admission eligibility |
Eligibility
- *Master's degree (or equivalent) from a UGC-recognized university with 55% marks (General/EWS/OBC-unreserved) or 50% (SC/ST/OBC-NCL/PwBD/Third Gender) — consistent across portals, not independently confirmed on an official NTA page in this pass. Final-year Master's students may apply provisionally.
- JRF age limit: 30 years as on the first day of the month the exam concludes (combined relaxation capped at 5 years across all grounds). No upper age limit for Assistant-Professor-only eligibility or PhD-admission-only category.
Selection Process & Exam Pattern
- Two papers in one 3-hour CBT sitting, no break between them (single-session format since Dec 2018).
- Paper 1: 50 questions, 100 marks — general aptitude (Teaching Aptitude, Research Aptitude, Reading Comprehension, Communication, Reasoning, Data Interpretation, ICT, People & Environment, Higher Education System), compulsory for all subjects.
- Paper 2: 100 questions, 200 marks — subject-specific, from the candidate's chosen subject out of 87.
- 2 marks per correct answer, no negative marking.
Syllabus
Paper 1 (10 common units): Teaching Aptitude, Research Aptitude, Reading Comprehension, Communication, Mathematical Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Data Interpretation, ICT, People & Environment, Higher Education System.
Paper 2: Subject-specific from 87 options — large-demand subjects include Commerce, English, Political Science, History, Economics, Education, Sociology, Computer Science, Public Administration, Hindi.
Pay Scale
JRF stipend: ₹37,000/month for the first two years (JRF phase), rising to ₹42,000/month for years 3-5 (SRF phase), plus HRA, contingency grant, and medical benefits — traced to a real UGC decision (572nd Commission meeting, 20 Sep 2023).
Recommended Reference Books
*No official NTA-recommended book list exists — NTA publishes only the syllabus. Commonly cited by coaching portals: Arihant's "UGC NET/JRF/SLET General Paper-1"; Trueman's UGC NET Paper 1; subject-specific Arihant/Upkar guides.
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Ask the Advisor →Frequently Asked Questions
Is there negative marking in UGC NET?
No. You get 2 marks per correct answer with no deduction for wrong answers.
What is the JRF stipend?
₹37,000/month for the first two years (JRF), rising to ₹42,000/month for years 3-5 (SRF), plus HRA and a contingency grant.
How many subjects can I choose for Paper 2?
You select exactly one subject from a list of 87 (as of the June 2026 cycle) at application time — you cannot switch or attempt two.
Is there an age limit for UGC NET?
Only for JRF (30 years, with relaxations). There is no upper age limit if you only need Assistant Professor eligibility or PhD-admission eligibility.
क्या UGC NET में नकारात्मक अंकन है?
नहीं। सही उत्तर पर 2 अंक मिलते हैं, गलत उत्तर पर कोई कटौती नहीं।
JRF वजीफा कितना है?
पहले दो वर्ष ₹37,000/माह (JRF), फिर वर्ष 3-5 में ₹42,000/माह (SRF), साथ में HRA व आकस्मिक अनुदान।
Sources
Exam purpose, conducting body, and JRF stipend are confirmed from official/near-primary sources. Exact eligibility percentages, pattern marks breakdown, and cycle dates are cross-corroborated across multiple portals but should be spot-checked against the current Information Bulletin before publishing.
Notes for UGC NET / JRF 2026
Zenith publishes syllabus-mapped notes for this exam in Hindi and English — written to the current pattern, reviewed by subject experts, and corrected from the feedback of students who were selected. Read one complete unit free before you decide.
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UGC NET / JRF 2026 — नोट्स
ज़ेनिथ इस परीक्षा के लिए पाठ्यक्रम-आधारित नोट्स हिन्दी एवं अंग्रेज़ी दोनों माध्यमों में प्रकाशित करता है — वर्तमान पैटर्न के अनुसार तैयार, विषय-विशेषज्ञ द्वारा समीक्षित, और चयनित विद्यार्थियों की प्रतिक्रिया से संशोधित। निर्णय से पहले एक पूरी यूनिट निःशुल्क पढ़ें।
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